Dubost’s show business career began at the age of seven, performing various duties at the Paris Opera. Following some stage training, her film debut took place in 1931 in Wilhelm Thiele’s Le bal, which also marked the film debut of Danielle Darrieux (who’s still around and still active).

Ultimately, Dubost’s film career was to span more than seven decades, during which time she was featured in over 140 movies. She is probably best remembered as the adulterous chambermaid Lisette in Jean Renoir’s 1939 comedy-drama La règle du jeu / The Rules of the Game, considered by many one of the greatest movies ever made.

Also of note, Dubost was one of the leads in Marcel Carné’s all-star drama Hôtel du Nord (1938), opposite Arletty, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Annabella, and Louis Jouvet, and had the second female lead in Marcel L’Herbier’s Le Bonheur (1934), a romantic melodrama starring Charles Boyer and Gaby Morlay that had a rare US showing on Labor Day at Los Angeles’ Cinecon.

Throughout much of the 1930s, Dubost was featured in light comedies such as Max Nosseck’s Le roi des Champs-Élysées / The King of the Champs Elysees (1934), starring a post-HollywoodBuster Keaton, and Jean de Limur’s L’auberge du Petit-Dragon / The Little Dragon Inn (1934) and La brigade en jupons / The Underskirt Brigade (1936). Film roles became sporadic during World War II, but Dubost was back in full force from the late ’40s on in a variety of supporting parts.

In later years, Dubost worked with François Truffaut in his Academy Award-nominated homage to the theater world, Le dernier métro / The Last Metro (1980), starring Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu; Moshé Mizrahi in the drama La vie continue / Life Goes On (1981), with Annie Girardot; and once again with Louis Malle in the BAFTA-nominated sociopolitical comedy Milou en Mai / May Fools (1990), with Miou Miou and Michel Piccoli.

Five years ago, on Laurent Ruquier’s French television talk show it was said that Dubost had died. The actress then called the station to let them know that she was still a Planet Earth denizen. A few weeks later, she was on the show herself.

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